Toyota Hilux pick up truck launch delayed in India

In a surprising move, Toyota has delayed the official launch of the all-new Hilux lifestyle pickup truck in the Indian car market for a few weeks. The Toyota Hilux was all set to officially arrive in India in March, with the unveiling of price and deliveries slated to take place in March. However, now that March is coming to an end, the new Hilux will arrive a bit later.

The authorized dealer outlets and website of Toyota started taking the official bookings of the Toyota Hilux in January. However, Toyota temporarily closed the booking window for the Hilux, stating that the initial response was very overwhelming and beyond their expectations and production capacity. The booking window for the Toyota Hilux is yet to reopen.

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Commenting on the delay in the reopening of the booking window for the new Toyota Hilux, an insider from Toyota said that the company is trying its best to reopen the bookings for the Hilux as soon as possible. However, no other details were revealed at the moment.

In February, Toyota announced some official details about the India-spec Toyota Hilux. The new pickup truck will share its platform with the Toyota Fortuner, but the overall localization level is currently fixed at 30 per cent only. The Hilux will be locally assembled at Toyota’s production facility in Bidadi, Karnataka, alongside the other two Toyota products, Innova Crysta and Fortuner.

Hilux will be available in two variants

The India-spec Toyota Hilux will come to India in two variants – Standard and High. Both these variants will get a 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine as the standard powertrain. Shared with the Toyota Fortuner, this engine produces a maximum power output of 204 PS and a maximum torque output of 500 Nm. The Hilux will be available with a four-wheel-drive system as standard, which will come with features like an electronic differential lock, automatic limited-slip differential and low-range transfer case. Two transmission options will be there to choose from – a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic.

In the top-spec High variant, the Toyota Hilux will come equipped with features like bi-beam LED projector headlamps with daytime running LEDs, LED fog lamps and tail lamps, 18-inch machined alloy wheels, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery and powered driver’s seat. It will also be packed with several safety features like seven airbags, vehicle stability control, front and rear parking sensors, reverse camera, hill assist control and ABS with EBD.

The Toyota Hilux is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 30-35 lakh, which makes it a premium product over its direct rival, the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross.

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